Leidos Lands U.S. Counterterrorism Director As New EVP Of Business Development, Strategy
Reston, Va.-based Leidos will be adding a top government counterterrorism official to its leadership team, the solution provider said Tuesday.
Michael Leiter will be joining Leidos as executive vice president for business development and strategy, the company said. Leiter is the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) under both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama.
Leiter's federal expertise will come in handy as the $5.7 billion solution provider focuses on the government and commercial sectors. Some of its most recent big contract wins include a $14 million contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and a $25 million task order with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
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The company is fairly new to the industry, as it was formed from the split of SAIC in 2013. SAIC operates independently now as a $4 billion services business.
CEO Roger Krone praised Leiter's background and industry expertise, saying they would add "significant leadership bench strength" to the Leidos team.
"[Leiter] has demonstrated his ability to develop and lead critical organizations in government, intelligence and commercial spaces -- his in-depth industry knowledge and passion for the work that we do will help us continue to increase our strategic focus, and ultimately better serve our customers," Krone said in a statement.
The NCTC isn't Leiter's only experience in the federal space. Leiter most recently served as counselor to the CEO at Palantir Technologies, a data analysis software firm based in Palo Alto, Calif., where he focused on developing the market strategy in the federal and commercial spaces.
Prior to that, he served as director of the NCTC since being sworn in by President George W. Bush in June 2008, after being acting director since Nov. 2007. In 2009, he was asked to continue his role under President Obama, until leaving the role in July 2011.
Leiter also has held other government roles, including positions at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the President's Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction, and the Department of Justice. From 1991 to 1997, Leiter was a U.S. Naval Flight Officer in operations in Yugoslavia and Iraq.
"I couldn't be happier to join the Leidos team and I look forward to working with the operating groups to develop and execute strategies to accelerate the growth of the business. Leidos offers unparalleled opportunities for business success as we tackle some of the toughest challenges facing our nation and the world -- from health-care and energy to national security," Leiter said in a statement about his appointment.
Leiter will start his new role on Nov. 17.
PUBLISHED NOV. 4, 2014